Serotonin Diet? Losing weight on Ads
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Nony, I used to do yoga until a few months ago, and loved it. But had to give up temporarily due to work schedule and dind't go back to it. I need to restart. And yes, probably do need to discuss meds. Though I've tried pretty much everything on the market over the years. It's a long term thing, not a blip. Just can't work out if I'd be better off thin, sad and mad as I was before than fat, sluggish and a bit less mad.
Hardest thing is getting back on the mat. Once you do, you'll go 'omg, why haven't I been doing this??'.3 -
Hardest thing is getting back on the mat. Once you do, you'll go 'omg, why haven't I been doing this??'.
Yes. I'm so aware I'll be the fattest person in the room, and yoga is not flatteirng is it, when you are waving your bum in the air for most of the session. But I do love it, and have a good teacher nearby. No excuses.3 -
Hardest thing is getting back on the mat. Once you do, you'll go 'omg, why haven't I been doing this??'.
Yes. I'm so aware I'll be the fattest person in the room, and yoga is not flatteirng is it, when you are waving your bum in the air for most of the session. But I do love it, and have a good teacher nearby. No excuses.
Start out by doing some at home if it's easier. Though, having that goal of going to a class would be good for you. And remember, no one will be judging you. That would be very un-yogic!2 -
I'm glad we were able to make you smile Cherys 5
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Thank you. You are lovely, staying to give advice when I didn't want to hear it. You've made me grin. And now I'm off for a walk that will easily add up to 10k steps, Had 40g of oats water, fresh apple and cinnamon porridge this morning and not feeling hungry, so I guess that's a start in the right direction. I'll take a look at yoga with adrienne too.11
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I workout at home, I have exercise induced anxiety/panic attacks (that was fun to work through way back when I started) so going to a gym is just not worth the mental exhaustion and frankly waste of money in how little I'd drag myself there.
With the food thing. Logging kept me in check. I might not always maintain my deficit but I sure as hell don't consistently overeat anymore. Logging is my anchor when it all goes to hell because not today Satan (thanks Bianca), you are not making me fat again brain, no way no how. Not to mention the self esteem boost that comes from looking and feeling better about yourself.
And often, it was psychological hunger, not true hunger. So to begin with, I kept no snacks in the house. I was "allowed" treats but they had to be single serve and bought as a single item. Now I keep 150 calorie on average things in, like crisps/chips, Fibre One bars, small single serve cake bars, that sort of thing. I will also make a hot drink instead of reaching for a snack, it can fill me long enough to stave off the munchies.
It's bloody hard at times but taking control of one of the few things within my power in regards to health is in itself helpful with the depression.6 -
Thank you. You are lovely, staying to give advice when I didn't want to hear it. You've made me grin. And now I'm off for a walk that will easily add up to 10k steps, Had 40g of oats water, fresh apple and cinnamon porridge this morning and not feeling hungry, so I guess that's a start in the right direction. I'll take a look at yoga with adrienne too.
See, you've already started!
And, been there, done that. I know the place you're in, how hard and scary it is to take control. But, I also know that even just realising you can results in a mind shift that gets the ball rolling.5 -
I am the same as VintageFeline. Going to a gym is way too overwhelming. I walk a lot. Getting out into the fresh air and nature helps my moods. I have a rule that I can only watch Netflix if I am on the treadmill. That is at least 30 minutes for 1 episode of Atypical which is my series of the moment. On a rainy day that makes a few more episodes. I also have resistance bands and some bar bells for a bit of strength training. Not as effective as proper weights but cheap to purchase and better than nothing.5
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I can relate to this. Back in 2014, after a long, long time of just about coping and having reached peak fitness, I decided to try an anti depressant called Cymbalta, aka Duloxetine, because I did still struggle with a lot of anger and it was helping my friend who, like myself, has Asperger's. Anyway, this co-incided with my moving to a new flat and basically, I went from hitting the gym 10-12 hours per week to zilch. I was so tired, so sluggish and basically, nothing seemed to matter at all anymore. I cannot recall what I ate back then although I don't remember specifically eating a lot of junk. I had been on ADs before, but none had ever impacted me this way. I ended up hitting a size I had never been in my life (my first time of being remotely overweight) within a matter of months. I took the step of weaning myself off the medication and have not dared to go back on one since, even though I am struggling immensely with a lot of anger and depression. I just do not want to end up like that again as my physical size has a great impact on how I feel as well.1
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Hardest thing is getting back on the mat. Once you do, you'll go 'omg, why haven't I been doing this??'.
Yes. I'm so aware I'll be the fattest person in the room, and yoga is not flatteirng is it, when you are waving your bum in the air for most of the session. But I do love it, and have a good teacher nearby. No excuses.
Look up Jessamyne Stanley on youtube--there are lots of inspiring large girls doing yoga nowadays. And if you're that self-conscious at your studio, it's time to find a new studio where you feel comfortable.
With respect to you just wanting to sleep--talk to your doctor... Maybe you need a dosage tweak, or maybe you need a different med. Do not--I repeat--do NOT change your dose or stop taking your meds on your own.
(I lost weight when I was on ADs--that was just how my depression manifested itself. Now prednisone--that's another story for me...)
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Grael, that's interesting. I've decided I am going to wean off them and keep my mood topped up with lots of exercise and very healthy foods. If it doesn't work, I can always return to them. Have you tried breathing meditation or affirmations, Grael, for anger? They might help.
Mitch, thanks for the suggestion of Jessamyne Stanley. I'll look her up. Well, I've just come back from a long walk in the fresh air and what a surprise, it improved my mood!
I'm going to:
Log food
Walk 10k steps a day
Eat 8-10 portions fresh veg a day
drink 8 glasses water a day
Can't rid the house of snacks, as I live with a 6'2" man and two teen boys who eat like horses. I never buy snacks, but they do, and if I ask them not to, they don't for a day or two then 'forget'. The house has permanent multipacks of crisps and biscuits. But I can ask them to buy stuff I dislike because I'd never knowingly eat an Oreo or a HobNob after tasting them once.3 -
Grael, that's interesting. I've decided I am going to wean off them and keep my mood topped up with lots of exercise and very healthy foods. If it doesn't work, I can always return to them. Have you tried breathing meditation or affirmations, Grael, for anger? They might help.
Mitch, thanks for the suggestion of Jessamyne Stanley. I'll look her up. Well, I've just come back from a long walk in the fresh air and what a surprise, it improved my mood!
I'm going to:
Log food
Walk 10k steps a day
Eat 8-10 portions fresh veg a day
drink 8 glasses water a day
Can't rid the house of snacks, as I live with a 6'2" man and two teen boys who eat like horses. I never buy snacks, but they do, and if I ask them not to, they don't for a day or two then 'forget'. The house has permanent multipacks of crisps and biscuits. But I can ask them to buy stuff I dislike because I'd never knowingly eat an Oreo or a HobNob after tasting them once.
My husband is a crazy snacker too, but we’ve hit a good balance with him avoiding keeping my particular binge foods in the house - potato chips in particular. He likes chips, but he likes Oreos and ice cream too, which I have no trouble avoiding, so he keeps those in the house and eats chips at work. Figuring out healthier snacks we both like has helped too - for me, cheese and fruit are great snacks I rarely overeat halthough I know lots of people have issues with cheese, sadly).
I’m sorry you’re struggling so much right now. I’ve been on anti-depressants since adolescence but luckily never experienced increased appetite as a side effect. A couple of people have mentioned logging calories as a goal in and of itself, and the sense of control it provides even when you’re still eating more than you like. I have absolutely experienced this. I logged for several months before I got the kick in the butt to start losing weight, and being able to look back at that data and really understand why I was gaining weight was a huge help. Plus, it taught me how to weigh food and estimate when you can’t weigh, and those can be tricky skills at first! Good luck!1 -
I 've been on a 5 or 6 different AD 's over last two years in addition being hypothyroid and taking another type of Ad's for pain management.
I 've been recently put on antipsychotic Seroquel as I 've been diagnosed with Bipolar affective disorder.
Over last few years I have gained and lost weight regardless of what medication I'm on.
I have lost 7kg just using MFP so no ,they don't make you gain weight but you have to log everything and be honest with yourself.
I am currently doubling my dose of Seroquel to 100 mg and feel like crap,lethargic ,nausea ,exhausted...my tip is to do what you can.
Whenever I can I go for a hike on the weekends so even if I miss few workouts I know I ve done something good for myself.
Believe me I know how rubbish meds can make you feel but don't blame them for weight gain.
Whenever I tried really hard I 've lost weight .
I don't have a huge deficit,I still have treats and I am losing slowly but I'm fine with that.0 -
That’s interesting. I follow a diet like that, and it really does make me feel happier. I do it for the ‘most nutrition per calorie’ reason, but I also struggle with feeling sad and anxious. I do get horrible anxiety and feel sad if I don’t eat right and work out regularly. I’ve eaten this way for years. Working out makes an enormous difference for me also, and helps me to cut back on booze, which I tend to self medicate with.0
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Mega, it's really interesting that you found logging your food helped even when you were still overeating. I'm going to try that. I tend to slope way from the logging in if I start overeating. Biut you're right. It would show the pattern of when and what. The triggers.
Passenger, I'm impressed you have the fight and self discipline in you, with all those meds, to still exercise. I have a lot of calls on my time - son and elderly parents all with health problems, self-employed so quite isolated working from home and very sedentary (though I love my job).
Sunnybrooke - what diet do you follow - wasn't sure what you referred to and want to know what diet makes you feel happier.1 -
Mega, it's really interesting that you found logging your food helped even when you were still overeating. I'm going to try that. I tend to slope way from the logging in if I start overeating. Biut you're right. It would show the pattern of when and what. The triggers.
Passenger, I'm impressed you have the fight and self discipline in you, with all those meds, to still exercise. I have a lot of calls on my time - son and elderly parents all with health problems, self-employed so quite isolated working from home and very sedentary (though I love my job).
Sunnybrooke - what diet do you follow - wasn't sure what you referred to and want to know what diet makes you feel happier.
I admit that logging without trying to lose seems silly, but I felt like it was something I could actually DO at a time when I didn't feel prepared to actual try for a deficit, and now that I'm losing, I'm really glad that I did. I think a lot of people slip up on logging when they eat at a surplus for whatever reason, but I find that maintaining the discipline to track as accurately as possible makes me feel better - it puts overeating into perspective. And yeah, I was pretty sure where my triggers were, but seeing it set down in calorie form really helped me get to a place to cut back.3 -
Logging the overeating days is key for me. It tends to stop its continuing in its tracks.2
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Grael, that's interesting. I've decided I am going to wean off them and keep my mood topped up with lots of exercise and very healthy foods. If it doesn't work, I can always return to them. Have you tried breathing meditation or affirmations, Grael, for anger? They might help.
Mitch, thanks for the suggestion of Jessamyne Stanley. I'll look her up. Well, I've just come back from a long walk in the fresh air and what a surprise, it improved my mood!
I'm going to:
Log food
Walk 10k steps a day
Eat 8-10 portions fresh veg a day
drink 8 glasses water a day
Can't rid the house of snacks, as I live with a 6'2" man and two teen boys who eat like horses. I never buy snacks, but they do, and if I ask them not to, they don't for a day or two then 'forget'. The house has permanent multipacks of crisps and biscuits. But I can ask them to buy stuff I dislike because I'd never knowingly eat an Oreo or a HobNob after tasting them once.
It never ceases to amaze me how much better I can feel just getting out for a walk.
Please don't come off the meds without talking to your doctor. They can be tricky beasts, even when you're tapering carefully.3 -
I'm bipolar, so I know the antidepressant and anti-psychotic struggle very well! When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder I said I'd rather be fat and happy than thin and crazy (not that I was ever thin).
But that was just an excuse not to buckle down and take control of my weight. Yes, I gained fifty pounds on my meds, but that was because I ate enough to gain fifty pounds, NOT because my meds made me gain weight. They didn't even increase my cravings, but they did make me tired. Sleeping too much is a problem for me, and I can't hold down a job because of my mental illness.
I'm on two antidepressants (one, the Cymbalta is at the highest dose allowed and also does double duty for chronic pain from fibromyalgia), one anti-psychotic, and an appetite suppresent (Topamax) AND Vyvanse for ADHD (a very small percentage of the population has bipolar disorder, but a fairly large percentage of the people with bipolar disorder also have ADHD) which helps suppress the appetite too. But, I was on Topamax for six months before I started back here on MFP, and only lost four pounds.
As of today I've lost 50 pounds just by counting calories. I have recently started riding a stationary bike every day for 20 minutes, but that only burns a couple hundred calories, and does nothing to improve my moods Not even much to improve my alertness most days, it's just something I make myself do every day, just like taking my meds, because it's good for me (and gives me a little more to eat, but mostly because it's good for my heart and lungs).
Every pound I've lost has been lost because I count my calories, I track my food, even on the many days I go way over, or forget to take my pills. I take deficit breaks every few months, because I get tired of staying so on track for so long, and start to go over my calorie limit anyway. I figure if I start planning to take a break every few months, I'll be able to stick to my deficit better. I also figure I'll have to take breaks like that for the rest of my life.
It's incredibly freeing to know that it's all in my control, even with the cravings for junk food (which are strong, and I have a hard time saying no to), and the excessive sleeping (some days I spend 20 hours out of 24 asleep and I HATE IT), and the mood swings that even medicine can't always control.
What I eat and how much I eat I CAN control, and when you're mentally ill any bit of control you can grasp really helps. I urge you to start tracking for a while, even if you don't reduce your calories at all. Eventually, I think you'll find yourself reducing your calories too, then add in a bit of exercise here and there (weight loss is all about calorie deficit, exercise is mostly for health because it doesn't burn THAT many calories, especially as you lose weight).
I think you'll start to feel better as you gain control over this aspect of your life, because as you know, you can't control your mental illness.5 -
edited because I was too slow to post and the conversation moved on.
I've been on the anti-depressant merrygoround for over 25 years, thankfully seroquel and lamictal have been the right combo for the last 7 years. I've gained weight and lost it while taking the various meds. I can tell you that in my case the hunger issues were less noticiable over time and when I've gained it's been because of losing focus over stress rather than because of the meds. I've successfully lost almost 40 lbs over the last 18 months and am able to keep it off without constant hunger or cravings. Hopefully my experience will be of some help 1
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